1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile, and a multifunctional peripheral having a plurality of functions of these apparatuses, and more particularly relates to a configuration in which a cartridge that holds an image bearing member such as a photosensitive drum is detachably attached to an apparatus main body.
2. Description of the Related Art
In one conventionally known configuration of an image forming apparatus employing electrophotography and the like, a cartridge having the following feature is used. Specifically, the cartridge includes an image bearing member such as a photosensitive drum and a process unit that forms an image on the image bearing member that can be replaced in an integrated manner. Such a cartridge, which holds the image bearing member and the process unit, includes a cartridge casing and a cover. The cartridge casing has a portion, from which a part of a surface of the image bearing member is exposed, and the cover covers the exposure portion. In this way, with the cover covering the exposure portion, the surface of the image bearing member is prevented from being damaged when the cartridge is not attached to the apparatus main body. An invention has been proposed, in which such a cover is used as a guide for attaching the cartridge to the apparatus main body to improve locatability and facilitate replacement operation (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-170960).
In the case of the configuration where the cartridge is attached to the apparatus main body as described above, the cartridge is inserted through an opening portion formed in the apparatus main body, and thereby is attached to a predetermined attachment position. If the cover described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-170960 is detached from the apparatus main body at the time when the attaching operation of the cartridge has been completed, a user has to support the cover during the operation and thus operability is low. As a possible solution, a latch unit may be provided. However, the latch unit, with which the cover is latched to the main body side in the cartridge attaching operation, requires an additional operation of releasing the latching of the latch unit in detaching the cover from the main body.